Lent has arrived my friends. I pray your week is going well and you are holding strong to your Lenten sacrifices. I stumbled right out of the gate Ash Wednesday but made a quick recovery by this morning. Thank you Lord for your grace. Yikes! I feel like this Lent might be a long one but I shall persevere.

Lent brings a lovely calm vibe to my kitchen. My family is Meatless on Wednesday and Friday’s harkening back to the way I was raised. We stay meatless of Friday’s throughout the year as an extra little sacrifice for the Lord, so adding in Meatless Wednesdays during Lent ups our game a bit.

I tend toward much simpler meals leaving anything complicated to Sunday dinner. I have always made a lot of soups and stews during lent. I guess it’s my way of simplifying while still providing a hearty meal for my guys. I also bake a lot of bread during Lent. Soup and bread are my winning lenten combo.

This Quinoa Sweet Potato stew recipe is a compilation of about three different stews I have made before. I love using the red quinoa for a change in color and texture. You could use regular quinoa if you’d like. You can spice it up or down and it can be thinned to be more “soup-like” or thickened. Your choice.

Quinoa is an ancient grain and also what is called a “perfect” protein, so it works well for me as a Type 2 Diabetic. I can eat it in place of rice or red meat and not have my blood sugar spike which is pretty cool. The sweet potatoes and black beans add fiber to help create a healthy bowl of yumminess. It can be made on the stove top but I am all about easy meal prep during Lent so, crockpot it is.

Feel free to share your favorites in the com box. Always looking for something new to challenge me in the kitchen.

Here’s to the Family Table,

Crockpot Quinoa and Sweet Potato Stew with Black Beans

5 cups diced sweet potato (about 2 large)

1 cup diced red onion (about 1 medium)

1.5 cup diced red or green bell peppers (about 1-2 large)

4 garlic cloves, minced (sometimes I use dried garlic powder if I am out of fresh garlic. If that’s the case use 1 – 2 teaspoons. Taste it halfway through cooking and make adjustments if necessary.)

2 (15 oz) can black beans

1 (28 oz) can of fire roasted tomatoes

4 cups vegetable broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3/4 cup uncooked red quinoa

2 – 2.5 tablespoons chili powder

3 teaspoons cumin

3 teaspoons paprika

1.5 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cayenne (more or less to taste)

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Add all ingredients into a crock pot starting with the broth. Turn on high and cook for 4-5 hours, turn down to low and continue to cook until ready to serve. If too thin, stir in 1-2 teaspoons of flour to thicken. If too thick, stir in another ½ – 1 cup of water.

Looks delicious! Looking forward to trying it out next Friday! It will be a nice change up from our usual heavy on the cheese pastas or quiche. This week I’m actually trying out salmon (which doesn’t feel seriously penitential to me) with a lemon butter sauce, asparagus, and homemade bread.

Just made this for a meatless Friday meal, and it is delicious. Top it with a little sour cream and cheddar cheese, and you are set! Thank you, Mary, for posting your recipe. My entire family is going to enjoy it!